Google’s Nano Banana Image Model Goes Mainstream: Now in Search, Lens, and NotebookLM

Google is giving its products a new creative boost with Nano Banana, an AI image generation model built under its Gemini 2.5 Flash family. The company is now expanding the model’s reach beyond the Gemini app to Search, NotebookLM, and soon, Google Photos, blending generative visuals with tools people already use every day.

From Notes to Narrated Videos in NotebookLM

NotebookLM, Google’s AI-powered notebook for analyzing and explaining documents, is getting one of its biggest updates yet. The platform now lets you turn complex notes into short, narrated videos, complete with visuals generated by Nano Banana.

You can pick between two video formats. The Explainer mode dives deep into your content, perfect for study material or business plans, while the Brief format quickly summarizes key ideas. Users can also guide the AI with prompts like, “Only cover the cost analysis section,” to get tailored results.

Nano Banana adds six unique art styles—Watercolor, Papercraft, Anime, Whiteboard, Retro Print, and Heritage—that automatically match the tone of your material. It’s the kind of upgrade that makes AI content creation feel more personal and less mechanical.

The new Video Overviews feature is rolling out first to NotebookLM Pro users, with a wider release planned for the coming weeks.

Search and Discover Get an AI Refresh

Google’s core search tools are also being quietly reshaped by Nano Banana and Gemini’s broader AI ecosystem.

In Google Discover, a new AI-driven layer now gives short previews for trending topics. These bite-sized summaries can be expanded for deeper context, including links to full articles from various publishers. The feature is currently live in the U.S., South Korea, and India, with more regions expected soon.

Meanwhile, sports fans will soon see a new “What’s New” button when searching for players or teams on mobile. The feed will display trending news, stats, and updates right within Search, turning it into a one-stop destination for real-time information.

Creative Mode Comes to Google Lens

The most noticeable integration for everyday users might be inside Google Lens. A new Create Mode allows users to transform photos through text prompts—think “make this room look retro” or “show this outfit in different colors.”

You can also generate entirely new images from scratch or get AI suggestions on where to buy similar items. It’s part of Google’s effort to merge creative editing and information search into a single experience.

The feature has begun rolling out in English for users in the U.S. and India, with support for more countries and languages coming later.

Photos Is Next in Line

Google confirmed that Nano Banana will also arrive in Google Photos soon. While details are light for now, it’s likely to bring generative image tools—like background filling, creative filters, or contextual suggestions—directly into the Photos app.

That move would make Photos one of the most AI-integrated apps in Google’s lineup, following the pattern we’ve seen with Magic Eraser and generative edit features over the past year.

Try These Prompts

The Nano Banana craze is already everywhere—people are turning their photos into 3D figurines, retro movie stills, and even pixel-art game shots. It’s a fun mix of nostalgia and AI creativity. You can try it yourself with some viral prompts here.

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